1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a carrier for boots, and, in particular, to a carrier for in-line skates which is inexpensive to make and easy to use and store by the wearer of the skates.
2. Description of Related Art
Boots including boot type skates such as ice skates, roller skates, in-line skates and the like necessarily come in pairs and are used as a pair by the wearer. The handling and/or transporting of the boots is awkward, however, and, in general, the boots are either held in separate hands or held together resulting in swinging of the boots, scratching of the boots as they rub together and possibly damage to the boot especially if placed or dropped on the ground.
For convenience, the following description will be directed to in-line skate carriers and in-line skates although it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the carrier would be able to be used for other boots as described above.
In-line skating has become a very popular sport. In-line skates however, are bulky and difficult to handle when not skating. Basically, in-line skates comprise a boot wherein the sole is connected to an inverted channel-shaped blade. Three or more roller wheels are rotatably-mounted in-line partially within the channel-shaped member so that the wheels touch the ground when being worn by the skater and the wheels rotate during motion of the skater. Accordingly, when not being worn, the in-line skates are inherently unstable in the upright position.
A number of patents have issued for in-line skate and other boot carriers which facilitate holding and carrying the in-line skates. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,580 to Hsiao shows an in-line skate carrier comprising a body having two laterally spaced pockets each having side supports dimensioned to engage opposite sides of the skate channel to hold the boots side-by-side and having a hook to hook around one of the rollers (preferably the forward-most roller). The forward ends of the pocket-forming portions are connected by a transverse member to which a carrying handle is attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,472 to Bigham discloses an apparatus for carrying in-line skates comprising a base member having a front, back and bottom. The base member defines first and second slots, each open to the bottom and extending from the front to the back. The first and second slots are each sized to receive the blade of an in-line skate so that the base member is substantially perpendicular to the in-line skate blades.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,425 to Cordova shows a carrier for skates and other articles comprising an elongate upstanding member. The structure on a lower end of the elongate upstanding member is for holding a pair of skates and other articles in a side-by-side hang down relationship. A hook on the upper end of the elongated upstanding member is for grasping by a hand of a person to transport a pair of skates or for hanging the carrier on a pole in a closet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,794 to Fisher shows a ski boot holder comprising a pair of hollow frames with the first frame fitted over the toe end of the ski boots and a wall of a second frame extending through the first frame and which is moved behind the boot. Both frames extend around the boots with the free end of the second frame forming a handle for carrying the boots. U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,956 to Jung is a roller skate carrier comprising a base bar adapted to engage with the interconnecting straps of a pair of roller skates. Design Pat. No. 352,173 to Tirone et al. shows an ornamental design for a holder for in-line skates.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a carrier for boots and boot type skates including ice skates, roller skates, in-line skates and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carrier for in-line skates wherein the skates are held securely side-by-side in the carrier in an upright position.
A further object of the invention is to provide an in-line skate carrier which is inexpensive and easy to use and store by the wearer of the in-line skates.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.